FPS494 Psychotria nervosa Wild Coffee1 Edward F. Gilman2 Introduction General Information Psychotria nervosa is a Florida native shrub that gets Scientific name: Psychotria nervosa its common name from the small, red, ellipsoid fruit it Pronunciation: sye-koe-TREE-yuh ner-VOE-suh produces (Fig. 1). Fruit resembles the true coffee bean. Common name(s): wild coffee The leaves of this plant are generally 6 inches long and are Family: Rubiaceae narrowly obovate in shape. These glossy green leaves are Plant type: shrub puckered with impressed veins on the upper surfaces of the USDA hardiness zones: 10B through 11 (Fig. 2) leaf blades, and there is pubescence along the veins on the Planting month for zone 10 and 11: year round leaf undersides. The shiny, dark green foliage gives a rich Origin: native to Florida texture to any landscape. The small, white inflorescence Uses: specimen; hedge; espalier; foundation; border; mass occurs terminally on the branchlets during the warm planting months of the year. Each flower is a sessile or stalked, open, Availability: generally available in many areas within its short cyme. hardiness range Figure 2. Shaded area represents potential planting range. Figure 1. Wild coffee Description Height: 4 to 10 feet Spread: 4 to 8 feet 1. This document is FPS494, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 1999. Reviewed February 2014. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. 2. Edward F. Gilman, professor, Environmental Horticulture Department; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Plant habit: round Use and Management Plant density: moderate This 4- to 10-foot-tall plant may be used in the landscape as Growth rate: moderate a specimen or foundation plant and is very effective when Texture: medium planted in mass. It stays relatively small in the sun and takes Foliage to clipping quite nicely. It makes a nice base or background plant for a shrub border. Birds and other wildlife are often Leaf arrangement: opposite/subopposite associated with this plant for the fruit it produces. Leaf type: simple Leaf margin: entire Wild coffee is a moderately drought tolerant plant that will Leaf shape: elliptic (oval) perform well in a partial shade or full shade location in the Leaf venation: pinnate landscape. Plants in the full sun often have chlorotic foliage. Leaf type and persistence: evergreen A plant in the full shade can grow into a small tree with an Leaf blade length: 4 to 8 inches open canopy. It is very cold tender and should be protected Leaf color: green if grown north of hardiness zone 10b. This plant will grow Fall color: no fall color change on any well-drained soil. Fall characteristic: not showy Pests and Diseases Flower No pests or diseases are of major concern. Flower color: white Flower characteristic: spring flowering; summer flowering Fruit Fruit shape: oval Fruit length: less than .5 inch Fruit cover: fleshy Fruit color: red Fruit characteristic: attracts birds Trunk and Branches Trunk/bark/branches: typically multi-trunked or clumping stems; not particularly showy Current year stem/twig color: green Current year stem/twig thickness: medium Culture Light requirement: plant grows in part shade/part sun; plant grows in the shade Soil tolerances: acidic; alkaline; sand; loam; clay Drought tolerance: moderate Soil salt tolerances: poor Plant spacing: 36 to 60 inches Other Roots: usually not a problem Winter interest: no special winter interest Outstanding plant: not particularly outstanding Invasive potential: not known to be invasive Pest resistance: no serious pests are normally seen on the plant Psychotria nervosa Wild Coffee 2.